Elshupacabra
Well-Known Member
Alright. So, after doing numerous extract batches, I made a rectangle Mash/Lauter tun with a CPVC manifold. Unfortunately, I don't have a pot with a large enough boil capacity to make a full 5gal batch, but after some reading I learned that you can do a partial boil all-grain or partial mash batch with top up water in the carboy as long as you adjust (boost) the target gravity for dilution.
So, I started off with an experimental Peach-Ginger Wheat beer from partial mash. Long story short, even though I calculated it out in Beer Smith (or so I thought) I ended up with too much sweet wort for my pot. So, basically at that stage of the game all I could do was take what I could and make the batch. The pre-boil gravity was low. But, after the addition of the malt extract and boil the O.G. was actually pretty close to target and that beer turned out light, but okay.
Now comes the all-grain. I was trying to make an English Brown Ale and basically the same thing happened, too much wort and gravity too low. Except there wasn't any extract to boost it. So I let it ferment out for 3 weeks and after tasting it last night, the best thing I can describe it as tasting like is sun tea. It is very, very pale and has no alcohol flavor at all.
I'll be sticking to extract until I can get a full sized kettle.
But, I have two questions:
1. Why the low gravity? Is it due to the fact that I didn't use all the wort or due to not enough conversion, or both?
2. What can I do with/to this beer to make it serviceable? As of right now, it is sitting in the carboy and in it's current state I don't really want to have it take up one of my kegs.
So, I started off with an experimental Peach-Ginger Wheat beer from partial mash. Long story short, even though I calculated it out in Beer Smith (or so I thought) I ended up with too much sweet wort for my pot. So, basically at that stage of the game all I could do was take what I could and make the batch. The pre-boil gravity was low. But, after the addition of the malt extract and boil the O.G. was actually pretty close to target and that beer turned out light, but okay.
Now comes the all-grain. I was trying to make an English Brown Ale and basically the same thing happened, too much wort and gravity too low. Except there wasn't any extract to boost it. So I let it ferment out for 3 weeks and after tasting it last night, the best thing I can describe it as tasting like is sun tea. It is very, very pale and has no alcohol flavor at all.
I'll be sticking to extract until I can get a full sized kettle.
But, I have two questions:
1. Why the low gravity? Is it due to the fact that I didn't use all the wort or due to not enough conversion, or both?
2. What can I do with/to this beer to make it serviceable? As of right now, it is sitting in the carboy and in it's current state I don't really want to have it take up one of my kegs.